Can I get that on the side??

So I might just be a tad bit picky. I don't like onions, I don't like tomatoes, don't even THINK about mayonnaise! I'm a huge fan of cheese pizza, cheese burgers, cheese enchiladas, queso and grilled cheese sandwiches. Wow....notice a theme? I also really like salads. See how healthy I am?? The thing is, I am leaps and bounds beyond what I used to be when it comes to a picky eater. College changed my life.

When I was a wide-eyed freshman at Texas A&M in the fall of '99 (Whoop) I was a regular at Chick-Fil-A and Double Dave's Pizza in the "Common Denominator". I alternated between a grilled chicken sandwich and pizza rolls for the majority of my meals. I would occasionally get corn, chicken fingers, or a grilled cheese sandwich in the cafeteria, but that was not often. And by not often, I mean virtually never. I didn't even have a meal plan because my parent's knew I would never eat in the cafeteria. I had grown up in my own little world of simple, cheesy foods, and the "cafeteria" didn't exactly make my list of acceptable eateries. It didn't take long before my body decided It was not going to function on pizza and corn and I had a bit of an episode. I got home from the rec one day and I was getting ready to get in the shower and everything went dark. I passed smooth out! I was on the phone with my mom telling her how weird I felt and then...boom! I hit the deck. She freaked out, I freaked out, and I really had no one to call. I had met one person, and that one person was a he. I had to call him, explain my current predicament, attempt to not pass out again, and get him to take me to the hospital. Blood tests and pregnancy tests later (I told them I could very well promise them I was not pregnant, but they didn't believe me. I told them only one other mother had produced such a birth and I was darn well sure I had not been visited by the angels and was not having an immaculate conception!) I was pronounced not pregnant and they had no idea what was wrong with me. They figured it might have a little something to do with my popcorn, bread and cheese diet, so they discharged me with a stern recommendation to vary my diet and introduce a few more nutrients.

Not one year later, I was living in the Pi Phi house and we had dinner together family style every night. At that point, there aren't many choices. You take it, or leave it. Period. The first night they put a bowl of peas out on the table I thought I was going to fall over! Meredith filled her bowl up, added a bit of butter and pepper and she went to town. I thought peas were only a myth. I figured they were something only found in children's books meant for dinner time torture. At her urging I gave it a try. Oh my gosh. I liked peas. Next came asparagus, broccoli, mixed vegetables, feta cheese, and I even starting eating walnuts and pistachios.

I now think I am way ahead of the curve. I don't order my steaks well done anymore, I enjoy a thin line of pink, I drink tea, I eat salads with strawberries, nuts, cheeses that aren't just cheddar, and I enjoy an array of vegetables. I still LOVE a Sonic wacky-pack with a grilled cheese and tater tots, but I also look forward to pushing the envelop and trying something new. If you had asked me 2 years ago if I would have eaten a strawberry-turkey panini I might have thrown up a bit in my mouth. First of all, I hated turkey and secondly, I had never even heard of brie. Go me!

That brings me to the real reason for the post....I am traveling for work right now, which means I eat meals with co-workers. My boss never misses a chance to make fun of me for cutting this and that and asking for items on the side. I can't help it! It's a part of my anatomy! I ordered a cobb salad yesterday for lunch and asked for chicken instead of beef, no onions, no tomatoes and the dressing on the side. Is that SO strange? Is that super picky? I think not. It came with much ridicule, but It tasted perfect!! :)